High-speed data communication technology continues to evolve as the demand for such communication increases. A number of serial interfaces are implemented to provide high-speed data communication, such as PCI Express, Ethernet over Electrical Backplanes, Serial-Attached Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), and Fibre Channel (FC). Such serial interfaces can include a multi-tap Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filter to shape the waveform being transmitted, such as by adjusting the overall transmitter amplitude and by performing de-emphasis near transitions. These interfaces can include training protocols, such that the receiver instructs the transmitter to adjust its settings to optimize the signal being received, as measured inside the receiver after receiver-side signal processing.